1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a closure for use on a container. More particularly, the present invention relates to a closure for use on a container wherein the closure includes an integral measuring and dispensing chamber having separate measuring and dispensing orifices.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is often desirable for a container to function both as a means by which a product held therein is transported from one location to another and also as a means by which a fixed quantity of the product may be dispensed therefrom, while permitting any unused quantity of the product to be stored therein for future dispensing and use. Containers of this design typically store more product than is required by the user for any single use thereof. Thus, a user who wishes to dispense a fixed quantity of the product (and retain the remainder of the unused product within the container for future dispensing and use) must provide an external means by which dispensing of the product can be measured. Such a requirement is expensive and cumbersome, as it requires the user to purchase and manage both a measuring device and the container. Thus, it is desirable to provide a closure which includes an integral measuring and dispensing chamber.
Various dispensing closures having measuring chambers have been proposed by the prior art; such as, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,109 to Robbins, which teaches a measuring/dispensing cap and container assembly having an arcuate weir panel defining both a measuring chamber and a dispensing aperture. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,582 to Robbins teaches a similar dispensing cap including an internal measuring chamber having a flat weir panel. However, use of the weir panel according to either of these references prevents use of the full cross-sectional area of the container to provide a measuring chamber. Accordingly, the measuring chamber must be disposed deeper within the container in order to provide a suitable measuring chamber volume, thereby increasing overall container size. Thus, it is desirable to provide a closure which includes an integral measuring and dispensing chamber, and which furthermore utilizes the full cross-sectional area of the container to define the measuring and dispensing chamber.